Gardening Guides

Last month, we caught up with SweetTree Farming for All to find out more about their Care Farm project and some of the other work they do with the community. Check out our interview with them below.

Our interview with SweetTree Farming for All

1. SweetTree Farming For All runs a range of activities and training for adults and young people. What sort of activities and training do you provide?

We run a few different projects, some at our own Care Farm in Mill Hill, SweetTree Fields Farm, and some are outreach projects around Watford and Hertfordshire. At our Care Farm, our ‘Let it Grow’ project for adults with a wide range of health/social support needs offers animal husbandry, horticulture, outdoor cooking, natural arts and crafts, shelter building and other bushcraft. It’s our own farm so we can do almost anything, and have our own sheep, donkeys, chickens, ducks and rabbits, with wooded areas, a warm and cosy yurt and an

Earlier this month, we caught up with Chanel de Kock from The Joy of Plants to learn more about growing houseplants and which houseplants can bring some extra festive cheer to the home over the Christmas period. Check out the great interview below and get your home ready for Christmas!

Our interview with The Joy of Plants

1. What are some of the easiest houseplants to grow and take care of for those of who us who aren’t gifted gardeners?

Besides the obvious sturdy plants like cacti and succulents that have been very popular this year, there are many plants to up your foliage score in the home without much talent at all! Some of our easy-care favourites are the Peace Lily, Ficus Ginseng,

Earlier this month, we caught up with Stuart Moody, publisher of Pocket Farm magazine. Pocket Farm provides practical information for smallholders, backyard farmers and crafters, so we spoke to Stuart about small-scale, back garden chicken keeping. Stuart gave us some great advice in his interview below, so be sure to check it out if you're thinking of owning chickens or need some advice on an existing flock.

Our interview with Pocket Farm

1. What factors do you need to consider before you start keeping chickens?

There are several things you need to consider if you decide you want to keep chickens, especially in an urban environment, not least of which is if you are allowed to. Some properties will have specific clauses in the deeds that forbid it and some local by-laws may also prohibit livestock – which is how chickens are classified – being kept.

Our interview with Freshwater Habitats Trust

1. The Flagship Ponds project works with local communities and organisations to protect important freshwater pond sites across England and Wales. How many pond sites are you currently working on?

Freshwater Habitats Trust is working on 70 of the hundred or so Flagship Pond sites we have identified in the UK. These are the most important pond sites, the top 0.2% of ponds. They support some of our rarest freshwater plants and a

We managed to speak to guerilla gardener Steve Wheen from The Pothole Garden about his work, how he finds inspiration and why he creates pothole gardens, as well as the benefits of gardening. Check out our interview below!

Our interview with The Pothole Gardener

1. Your project involves planting miniature gardens in potholes to create unexpected moments of happiness. How do you think this helps to create happiness?

The project is all about turning something that annoys people and making it a little bit brighter. Potholes annoy everyone – cyclist, drivers, and pedestrians. My little gardens surprise people and make them smile.

Earlier this month, we spoke with Lisa Fearn from The Pumpkin Patch to talk about the importance of getting children into gardening and the valuable skills they can learn from doing so. Lisa spoke to us about the classes The Pumpkin Patch run, favourite recipes for homegrown food, and seasonal cooking.

Our interview with The Pumpkin Patch

1. You have five children of your own who all love gardening. How did you get them into it to start with?

It wasn’t a matter of getting them into it, they just started helping in the garden. When they were very little they used to play in a sand pit just next to me in the garden. I’d dig the soil and they would dig in the sand! They soon started joining me in the garden and would help to plant up

Earlier this month we caught up with Samantha Lagan, who works with Trees for Cities to help make cities across the world a greener, healthier, more attractive place to live. All of the advice and tips about planting and looking after trees was also kindly supplied by Harry Thacker, Urban Forest Manager at Trees for Cities. Check out what Trees for Cities do, how they help cities, and how to properly plant and care for trees in our interview below.

Our interview with Trees for Cities

1. Trees for Cities is the only charity operating on an international level to create greener cities. How do you do this?

In cities other than London, where we are based, our model is to work in partnership with local delivery organisations. In the UK these may be City Councils or community groups, whilst overseas we work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Earlier this month, we spoke to David from The Anxious Gardener about how he became a self-employed gardener, how other people can do the same, and some great tips for attracting wildlife to your garden. Check out our interview below.

Our interview with The Anxious Gardener

1. You started gardening 10 years ago, has much changed between then and now?

For me, the major change in the last ten years has been the smartphone. Not only does it allow me to interact easily with people on social media (in what can otherwise be a lonely profession), but more importantly it gives me immediate access to a whole world of gardening know-how. If I'm unsure or I've forgotten when to prune a particular shrub or the conditions a certain plant prefers, I can find out the answer instantly. I still keep a hefty RHS encyclopaedia at work

We spoke with Stan Griep, the Master Rosarian at Gardening Know How, about growing and caring for roses.

A master rosarian has to grow roses for many years and contribute significantly to the realm of rose growing in order to achieve their title, so Stan has a wealth of experience, which he kindly agreed to share with us.

Our full interview with Stan is shown below:

Interview with Gardening Know How

1. You have years of experience growing roses in cold climates. How difficult is this? Are there any roses that flourish in colder environments?

It definitely is more trying to grow roses in a cold climate.

You need to really do your homework and research the growth habits and growing-zone ratings established for the rosebushes you are considering for your rose beds or rose gard

Need to know what to do in your garden but don't know where to start? We've looked at 4 key areas for gardening and provided 5 top tips for each to help you make a start on your garden. Our 4 key areas of focus are:

Seasonal Gardening - we've covered tips for the whole year, not just the current season, so if you want to know more check out our gardening advice section

Eco-Friendly Gardening -eco-friendlygardening is a huge part of making sure that you are doing your bit to help the environment while you enjoy your garden! Find out more about eco-friendly gardening here

Growing Your Own - growing your own food is becoming more and more important, and popular! We look at some great ways to get started here but for

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